Kuvée – the wifi wine bottle

A Boston-based start-up firm has attempted to cross a smartphone with a wine bottle and the result is the interactive, wifi-enabled Kuvée bottle, which hit the market in the US this week.

Media commentators have been quick to deride the product, but its inventors say several wineries have signed up to supply the wines.

The cheapest version available to pre-order on 30 March was $199 for one Kuvée bottle plus four wines, sold with the caveat that the product was still ‘a work in progress’.

Metal wine bottles that fit into the Kuvée case with a touch-screen, according to the company. Credit: Kuvée

Kuvée claims that the advantages of its namesake product for the consumer include an interactive screen, via which they can rate the wine (out of five stars), learn more about the producer, check the temperature and find out what foods are best to eat with the wine.

There are set to be 48 different wines bottled by Kuvée in 75cl aluminium canisters, which can then be placed in an outer casing with the touch-screen.

Kuvée also claims that its device keeps the wine fresh for 30 days, by preventing oxidation.

Co-founder and CEO, Vijay Manwani, said winemakers would also have access to ratings given by consumers, and when the wine was drunk.

He said that he and his Master Sommelier, Michael Meagher, have signed up a number of Californian producers, ranging in price from $15 to $50, while Kuvée itself would normally cost $249.

In 2017, they plan to recruit European producers and the aim is to have about 100 wines on offer in total.